McDonald’s opens first 'net-zero' restaurant in Shropshire’s Market Drayton

The branch features a drive-thru lane made from recycled tyres, wall art made from used coffee beans, and kerb stones made from recycled plastic bottles.

McDonald's has officially opened its first 'net-zero' restaurant in the UK, part of its ambition to slash carbon emissions across the country by 2040.

The branch, located on the western edge of Market Drayton in Shropshire, features a drive-thru lane made from recycled tyres, wall art made from used coffee beans, and kerb stones made from recycled plastic bottles.

Powering the restaurant are two wind turbines and 92sq m of solar panels that produce 60,000 kWhs of power per year, and its walls are insulated with British sheep’s wool that might otherwise have gone to landfill.

Building cladding is made from recycled IT equipment and white household goods such as washing machines, amounting to 250sq m of recycled materials. Wall art made from recycled polystyrene cups will also be installed, fixed in place with potato starch from McDonald’s potatoes.

The site also features a biodiversity garden and nature trail designed by schoolchildren from Market Drayton Junior School, which will collect rainwater from the carpark and provide a habitat for frogs and other creatures.

McDonald's, which has around 1,300 restaurants across the UK, wants to reach net zero emissions – or emit no more greenhouse gases than it absorbs through its business – across the world by 2050.